Penstemon plant named &#39;penharvio&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Penstemon  plant, particularly distinguished by its violet flower color with white throat, early flowering, and good branching habit.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Penstemon hartwegii

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

‘Penharvio’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new distinct cultivar of Penstemon, botanically known as Penstemon hartwegii.

The new Penstemon is a product of a planned breeding program conducted in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The new Penstemon cultivar has a well branched plant habit, violet flower color with a white throat, and is early flowering.

The new Penstemon is propagated by cuttings resulting from a single seedling. This seedling originates from a selection in Penstemon hartwegii ‘Gigant’ (not patented), identified as number ‘F3412.’ This selection was made through one cycle of half sib selection. The selection was done in the period June 2002 until July 2003 in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands. The seedling was selected in July 2003 in Enkhuizen, Netherlands.

The present cultivar has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by cuttings in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, since 2003. The distinctive characteristics of this new Penstemon are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

The new Penstemon plant is a perennial in zones 4 to 9 in the US.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The new Penstemon plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographic drawing which shows blooms, buds and foliage of the plant in full color, the color showing being as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of this new Penstemon. The data which defines these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 15 week old plants. The instant plant was grown in an 11 cm container in an outdoor container field.

Color references are primarily to the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London.

Plants of the new Penstemon differ primarily from the plants of the originator ‘Gigant’ in the following characteristics:

Plants of the new Penstemon start flowering earlier and are more branched than plants of the originator ‘Gigant.’

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW CULTIVAR ‘PENHARVIO’ AND A SIMILAR CULTI VAR ‘Penharvio’ ‘Rubycunda’ (Not patented) Flower diameter 4 cm 3 cm Flower color N80A 46C Branching Very good Medium

-   The plant:     -   -   Classification—botanical.—Penstemon hartwegii. -   Parentage:     -   -   Originator selection.—‘Gigant’ (Not patented). -   Propagation:     -   -   Type of cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—12-16 days at 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—3 weeks.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous and white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Compact basal rosette.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 4 to 9.         -   Size.—48 cm tall and 27 cm wide.         -   Habit.—Suffrutescent. -   The foliage:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Margins.—Entire, undulate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Sessile, obtuse.         -   Length.—8.6 cm.         -   Width.—3.3 cm.         -   Vestiture.—Glabrous.         -   Texture.—Leathery.         -   Leaf color.—Upper surface: 143A — Lower surface: 144A. -   The inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Thryse, virgate.         -   Number of flowers.—10-42 per cyme.         -   Peduncle.—Height: 46 cm — Diameter: 2 mm — Color: 144B —             Texture: Glabrous.         -   Pedicel.—Length: 1-1.8 cm — Diameter: 1-2 mm — Texture:             Glabrous — Color: 144B.         -   Flowering period.—From June until August.         -   Flower bud.—Length: 3.4 cm — Width: 3.4 cm — Position:             Closed tubular, bulging — Color: N80A.         -   Flower type.—Zygomorphic.         -   Flower shape.—Tubular, bilabiate.         -   Flower tube.—Length: 0.5 cm — Width: 0.2 cm.         -   Number of flower lobes.—5; 2 upper lobes, three lower lobes.         -   Flower size.—Length: 3.6 cm — Width: 4.0 cm.         -   Flower color.—N80A.         -   Calyx.—Number of lobes: 5 overlapping lobes — Length: 0.7 cm             — Width: 0.5 cm — Color: 143B.         -   Calyx lobes.—Apex: Acuminate — Margin: Entire.         -   Lastingness.—On the plant: Each cyme blooms for about 2             weeks on the plant — In the vase: 1 day. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamen.—Number: 5 — Shape: Dehiscent.         -   Anther color.—158A.         -   Pollen color.—158D.         -   Pistil length.—2.7 cm.         -   Pistil color.—64B.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Filament length.—2.5 cm.         -   Filament color.—155B. -   Seed development: Seed development has not been observed to date. -   Disease tolerance: No disease/pest resistance has been observed to     date. -   Weather resistance: The new Penstemon plant is resistant to     temperatures ranging from −8° C. to +42° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant named ‘Penharvio,’ as substantially illustrated and described herein. 